Three Swords Plus One More
by The Cook's Girl
Summary: It was another lazy day for the Straw Hats until they spot a ship on fire! The only person surviving was a cocky, redheaded boy who happens to be a former aquainttance of Zoro! However, not even Zoro knew the boy's shocking secret... ZoroxOc; ON HOLD
1. Saying Goodbye

"Oi!! Ginta-san!!!," a small girl laughed from atop the tree. Her hair was shaggy, even though it was brushed, and it was a red colour, giving her an appearance of a small boy. Her eyes were a crystal blue, and shone with mischief. She was wearing a white ragged shirt that was torn at the shoulders. It also had puffed sleeves, and she kept it tucked in a pair of dark black pants that had about four belts strapped to it with a slingshot and some ammo.

The black-haired man blinked, and looked up, grinning. "Hey!!," He shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Yuki! How did you get up there?"

She grinned boastfully. "I flew up here!! See how high I am?!"

Ginta rolled his eyes. For such a small child, she was as cocky as the young men who were already telling tall tales of the sea, even if they had never stepped on a boat in their life. But Yuki, she was something else. She could out-talk them all, her tales larger, and a hundred times more interesting than theirs. "Have you been practicing swimming?"

She nodded. "Yup!! I've gotten really good! And I've been practicing flying too!"

"Come down, and you can stop with the flying nonsense already!," he called. "Etsuko says you won't get any dinner if you keep hiding!"

Yuki pouted. "Aww, really? I wanna stay up here!!"

Ginta shrugged, and began walking away. "Okay, but we're having fried fish with Ikameshi!"

"Wait!! Ginta-san!! I'm coming!!"

He laughed and turned back to face her."Oh, so you DO want that food....." He trailed off, his eyes wide. "No, stop Yuki!!" Yuki was standing on the branch, trying to stabilize herself. Then, with a smile, she jumped off as she was going to jump into the water.

"YUKI!!"

She didn't fall as fast as he originally would have thought. It was almost as if she was....floating?! Yuki's boastful smile grew, and Ginta noticed a strange, fuzzy, whitish aura around her feet, as if something was supporting her. "See! I told you I flew!" She laughed, then glided up higher in the air, did a backwards flip, and landed smoothly on the ground.

Ginta's eye twitched. "Wha-What happened?!"

Yuki shrugged. "I dunno," she answered. "I just saw a weird looking fruit on the shore this morning, and it looked really yummy!! So I ate it. Then, I climbed up a different tree, trying to hide from the boys, and I fell, but I didn't fall at the same time. I was flying!! I think it may have been the fruit."

Ginta's eyes widened. "You must have eaten a devil's fruit Yuki!"

Yuki cocked her head. "Devil's......fruit?"

He nodded. "Yes, a Devil's fruit! You gain special powers, but the sea turns against you! Yuki, you'll never be able to swim again!"

She blinked, then a wide smile appeared, excitement shining in her eyes,

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" She turned and took off, waving her hands in the air.

"ETSUKO-SAAAAAAN!!! I ATE A DEVIL'S FRUIT AND I HAVE SPECIAL POWERS NOW!!!" She began going on and on abut how she battled fierce pirates to get the fruit, and Ginta chuckled.

"She never changes." He followed her, then heard more yelling, but it wasn't from Yuki. The man groaned. "Oh no, not again!"

* * *

"You little brat!! That's a rare fish here in East Blue! Give it back!!!"

"Nyah!!" Yuki smirked, looking back at the man, but ran into something and the large fish she was holding was dropped onto the ground. "E-Etsuko-san!"

"Give the man back his fish, and come back for dinner. I'm going to have a talk with you!" Yuki pouted, and handed the fish back to the shop owner. He grumbled a reluctant thank you and rambled away. Etsuko grabbed the struggling girl by the ear and began dragging her to her home. "No stealing!! How many times do I have to say that?!"

"B-But it looked so good!! And I wanted to cook it really bad!!"

The old woman sighed. "You can never resist something that would make a delicious dish, can you Yuki?"

"N-no ma'am! I can't help it! I want to be a pirate cook when I grow up!!"

"A pirate cook!," Ginta said, catching up to Etsuko and Yuki. "Etsuko, let the poor girl go. And that's how you treat a boy when they get in trouble, not a girl!!"\

"Yuki here wears pants, carries around a wooden sword and a frying pan, and has a makeshift pirate hat. She also has wild tales of eating a Devil's fruit and fighting millions of pirates to get it. Does this sound like a description of a girl to you?"

Yuki scowled and waved her hands up and down. "I am too a girl!!! And I did eat a Devil's fruit!"

Ginta sighed. "Anyway, what's this about being a pirate cook?"

Yuki tried to smile, but her ear was hurting to badly. "Yeah! I want to be a pirate cook, it'll be great! Pirates get treasure, and some of them have nice men, like Shanks-san!"

Ginta and Etsuko laughed. "Yuki," Etsuko said. "That pirate is one of a kind."

"You said it! And I'm going to join a crew that has good people in it, like his!"

"Good luck to you then-ow!"

Etsuko glared at Ginta, having punched him on the head with her free hand. "You fool! Don't encourage the girl!" Yuki laughed at the two. She may have been abandoned, but Ginta and Etsuko were better than any parents she could ask for.

* * *

A few days after Yuki gained her power, the Marines arrived. The admirable declared the peaceful island now under Marine control. They demolished many homes to build their base, and conscripted all the young, able males. And, thinking that Yuki was a boy, she was conscripted as well. She kept her secret about being a girl and about her demon fruit abilities, fearing what they would do to her. When everyone was asleep, she would sneak out and practiced mastering her new ability, and using a sword. Yuki was determined to not lose her spirit. It was all she had left. At lunches, she would weave tales about pirates, marines, and anything she could think of to her friends. Eventually, even they stopped listening to her, and she was alone.

Three years passed, and the once quiet island became filled with drunk, insane marines. Yuki was now ten years old, and had been plotting her escape. It was time to put it into action.

She made sure everyone was asleep, and made sure any guards around weren't looking. She flew through the hallways, her feet not once touching the ground, though it still looked like she was running. Luckily, she didn't run into any more Marines, and made it out of the base. She ran to the harbor where she stole one of the smaller marine ships that would be easier to handle, faster, and more agile. As the ship pulled away, Yuki thought she saw two figures at the docks, waving goodbye. But it must have been her imagination. Ginta and Etsuko had been killed when they tried to protect the homes that were destroyed three years ago.

Once she was far enough away from her island, Yuki took down all the flags and painted over the Marine sign with white, the color of a normal flag.

Ever since then, Yuki swore revenge upon the Marines for destroying her home, and her life. She wasn't going to let anyone get the better of her, full-grown man or not. She grew up in their world. Yuki could handle them.


	2. The Boy and the Swordsman

******~Five years later...~**

* * *

"SHIP OFF THE PORT BOW!!," Usopp yelled from atop the crow's nest. Nami, Luffy, and Sanji rushed to the rail to the the site before them. A ship not too far from them was on fire, and didn't look like there was any survivors.

"I wonder if there's anyone ali-," Nami began to say, but was rudely interrupted.

Luffy was jumping up and down and waving his hands in all directions. "OH MY GOD!!," he yelled. "LOOK AT THAT-huh?"

Sanji, not noticing that Luffy was staring at the ship, grew furious."HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT NAMI-SWAN!!!"

Luffy pointed to a limp figure hanging precariously over the edge of the rail. "There's a person aboard."

"Do you think they're still alive?," asked Sanji, completely forgetting about what he had said to his captain.

Nami shook her head. "I doubt it. By the size of that fire-"

"Nami!!," Usopp shouted, focusing his goggles. "He's still breathing!! But he's about to fall into the ocean!"

Luffy didn't need anymore encouragement, and stretched out his arm to get the boy. He pulled the stranger back on the ship. He hit Zoro in the process, who had been dozing happily, and sent him flying into the sea. "Whoops. SORRY ZORO!!"

Zoro climbed over the ship's rail, muttering something about trying to make Luffy's murder seem like a suicide. "I'm seriously gonna kill him!!"

Luffy and the rest of the crew crowded around the newcomer, save for Zoro, who was still trying to get back in the ship. Luffy bent down and nudged the limp form.

"Do you think he'll live?," he asked, looking a little confused.

Zoro had finally made it back onto ship and stormed toward Luffy, his eyes glinting. Nami and Usopp instantly rushed to hold the swordsman back. "Prepare yourself Luf-!"

"Shut up Zoro! Now's not a good time!!," Nami growled.

"Yeah, there's was a person a burning ship and they need medical treatment!!," Usopp added, not caring if it was true or not.

Zoro drew in a deep breath, and settled himself down. "Fine." He walked over and looked at the stranger. "He does look pretty beat up....," he murmured reluctantly.

Usopp nodded quickly, and Zoro scoffed. "Whatever. I'm going back to sleep." He yawned, and walked over to his favourite sleeping spot.

"Okay, get him inside, I'll do the best I can to fix up his injuries, you guys just continue with what you were doing, like Zoro."

Before she could pick him up, the stranger's eyes burst open. He sat up, putting his hand on his face. "Wh-Where am I?," he asked to nobody in particular, groaning.

"HE'S AWAKE!," Luffy commented loudly, earning a glare from the person the Straw Hats rescued. The glare quickly turned to shock.

"Y-You're Straw Hat Luffy!," he exclaimed, surprised.

Luffy laughed and smiled proudly. "Yep!"

Nami, Usopp, and Sanji had a completely different reaction.

"A Bounty Hunter!!!," Nami and Usopp screeched, hugging each other as tight as they could, while Sanji looked over the stranger some more.

"You're pretty cute... for a guy," he commented, and the stranger seemed to grow tense.

"Uhh," he began nervously, his voice deepening a little. "What do you mean, cute?! I'm a guy!"

Sanji shrugged casually, putting his hands in his pockets. Then he chuckled and shook his head. "Never mind. I don't know what I'm saying."

"You sure don't!," Zoro said from the lower deck, still annoyed at Luffy from earlier.

A vein pulsed in the cook's forehead. "SHUT UP UP SWORDSMAN!!!," he yelled angrily.

The boy that Luffy had rescued stood up, and swayed a little. Nami was on guard just in case he fell, but there was no need. He steadied himself, and walked down to the lower deck. Zoro looked up at him and scowled.

"I don't know why I didn't recognize from before!," he exclaimed angrily, drawing one of his swords and pointing it at the boy, who didn't move an inch. "But I can never forget those eyes!!

The boy glared at him. "Pirate Hunter Zoro, correct? I never thought I would see you again. And on a _pirate _ship no less!"

"Watch out Luffy," Zoro warned. "This guy isn't who he appears to be."

"Anyway," the boy said, turning to Luffy. "Drop me off at the nearest port."

Luffy shook his head. "Nah-uh," he said bluntly. "I can't do that, because we're going straight to the Grand Line!!"

The boy chuckled. "Really now?," he said sarcastically.

"Hey!," Nami interrupted. "Tell us your name!"

He grinned cockily, and used his thumb to point at himself. "Me? My name is Yuki. terror to all Marines in all the seas!"

Usopp, who had been paranoid all this time, blinked in confusion. "Wait...," he began. "I thought you were a... umm.... a... uhhhh...."

"A Bounty Hunter," Nami finished.

Yuki raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Nor am I a pirate. I have a grudge against those stupid Marines, and the last thing I want to do is help them out."

Luffy shrugged. "But I'm not stopping. Sorry!"

He sighed. "Fine. Just drop me off at the first Island we get to at the Grand Line."

"I guess that's fine..." Luffy grinned. He wasn't going to pry into his past, or ask him about his grudge. It wasn't any of Luffy's business, and he wasn't worried about it either.

But his crewmen, on the other hand, were itching to know what the Marines did to make Yuki want to hold a grudge. But, they figured it would be rude to ask. Besides, Zoro seemed to know this man.

"Oh, Zoro." Yuki turned to the swordsman. "I bet you still can't beat me."

Zoro's eyes twitched and a huge vein pulsed on his forehead. He drew all three of his swords and tied his bandanna around his head. A sword in each hand, one in his mouth. "Why don't you come down and see for yourself, Yuki!!"

Yuki smirked. "I think I will!" He pulled back his ragged jacket, were his belt held a sword sheath. Make that an _empty _sword sheath. Yuki panicked.

"Wait!! Where's my sword?! OH MY GOD MY SWORD'S GONE!!!" He started running in circles, tears flying out the corners of his eyes and waving his hands up and down crazily. "IT'S GONE! WHAT AM I GONNA DO!! I'M NOTHING WITHOUT IT!!!" Usopp, Nami, and Zoro stared, while Luffy and Sanji cracked up laughing. His eyes glinting, Yuki grabbed Luffy's shirt, and got into the pirate captain's face, looking really annoyed. "IT'S NOT FUNNY DAMMIT!!"

Tears ran down Luffy's and Sanji's faces, they were laughing so hard. Usopp began snickering from were he was standing, and Nami put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile.

Zoro noticed something floating in the water. "Oi!," he called out to Yuki. "Is that your sword in the water on the port side?"  
Yuki blinked, then his eyes grew wide. "Eh!?" Dashing to the rail, he groaned. "Damn," he swore. "I can't swim! And it's about to sink too! And I was wondering how my luck could get any worse!"

"I'll get it!!," Luffy announced, stretching out his arm, grabbing the katana, pulling it back, and handing it to the shocked boy. But he took his sword back gratefully and set it in it's sheath.

"Thanks," he said happily, then looked at Luffy in the most curious of ways. "Did you eat a Devil's Fruit?"

Luffy nodded proudly. "Yosh! I'm a rubber man!"

Yuki nodded expectantly. "Of course, of course, that would explain the stretching... But I guess since I'm stuck on the..."

"Going Mary," Usopp filled in.

"-the Going Mary with the notorious Straw Hat pirates, I may as well make myself useful. You wouldn't mind having another swordsman aboard, would you, Luffy?"

Luffy nodded, grinning. "Sure thing Yuki!!"

Zoro scowled and Yuki smirked at him. "Hn," he chuckled, his crystal eyes narrowing dangerously. "This is going to be fun, Zoro. Just like old times, eh?"

Zoro glared at the boy. "Yippee," he commented sarcastically.


	3. Spiders are Scary for Redheaded Boys

It had been almost eight days since Yuki arrived, five hours since the sun had set, and two hours since the Straw Hats had fallen asleep, exhausted from all the arguing they did. It was a starless sky, and there was no moon. Yuki sat against the cabin's wall on the upper deck, feeling the wind in his face. He loved the sea. To him, it was a sign of adventure and excitement.

Unconsciously, he fingered his dark, shaggy hair, Yuki's crystal eyes fixed on the sky. He had grown nervous, and disturbed, when the blonde cook guy had said he was cute, but thankfully the subject was dropped quickly. He pulled off the navy blue and black bandanna covering practically his whole forehead and front part of his hair and sighed.

"I knew I would find you up here!," another voice cried triumphantly, and Yuki shouted in surprise, dropping the bandanna. His eye twitched when he realized it was the green-haired swordsman, who had a 'You're such a idiot' written all over his face. Yuki scowled, picking up the bandanna and avoiding Zoro's eyes.

"What do you want?"

He shrugged. "You were always the one who stayed up at night, sleeping all during the day unless there was treasure, a fight, or a new island to explore. It was almost like you had a built-in alarm." Zoro snickered, and the younger boy glared at him.

"Leave me alone." Yuki scowled, re-tying the bandanna, and Zoro chuckled.

"Acting girly, like always. You really need to get over all those stupid fears of yours." He looked over at Yuki, then his eyes grew wide. "God, that's a huge spider!"

Yuki shrieked in an impossible high-pitched way that only he could manage, and dashed behind Zoro. Only when Zoro began snickering again did Yuki realize that he had duped him. Yet again. His face turned dark red from embarrassment, and he straightened his posture, forcing himself to cough.

"I knew there was no spider there!," he lied. "Besides, what's so scary about those stupid-er-cool, eight-legged, bug-things?"

Zoro blinked, and pointed to Yuki's sleeve. "Erm, there's a spider on your shirt sleeve," he commented, holding back a laugh and knowing that his fellow swordsman wouldn't believe him. He was right, and Yuki shot a look at him.

"Nice try, Pirate Hunter," Yuki said, ginning cockily. But, just to make sure he glanced at his sleeve. Sweat began dripping down his face. There, on his sleeve was a small, black spider. Eight legs and all.

"Told you," Zoro retorted, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Yuki's eyes were wide. "S-S-S-Sp...."

Zoro, being his own dense self, grew confused. "Sp-what?"

"SPIDER!!!!!!" Yuki ran back and forth across the deck, his arms stretched out in front of him and tears spilling out from the corner of his eyes. "IT'S A SPIDER!! GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!!!!!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!," Zoro laughed, tears flying out of his own eyes. He was holding his ribs, and was running out of breath from laughing so hard. "Oh god stop! I can't take it!! Damn, that's funny!!"

After about a minute, Yuki ran face-first into the cabin's wall and fell flat on his back, in shock and unable to move.

Still laughing a little, Zoro bent down a plucked the spider off Yuki's shirt and threw it somewhere. "You can be such a girl sometimes!," he chuckled as Yuki sat up, trembling a little.

"Sh-Shut up!"

Zoro shrugged. "Hey, don't blame me for your faults, I was only telling you that there was a spider-"

Yuki glared at Zoro. "I hate you," he grumbled, standing up and looking for the bandanna.

Zoro grinned, somehow looking angry at the same time. "I try!" He then noticed something at his feet and picked up the item. It was Yuki's bandanna. "Oi! Here's your bandanna thing!!"

Yuki whipped his head around, and walked toward the swordsman with a sheepish look on his face. He took the bandanna without looking Zoro in the eye. "Thanks," he mumbled, embarrassed that he himself couldn't find it, and his pride was already bruised enough.

"By the way, how did that ship get so beat up?"

Yuki finished tying the bandanna and smirked. "Well," he began. "I was captured by Marines who were mad that I was beating up all those pirates, turning them in for bounties, then they would suddenly escape without a trace with the guards knocked out. They thought that we were actually working together and I was breaking them out. No matter what I told them, they wouldn't believe sweet, innocent me." He sighed dramatically, like it was a big deal and Zoro rolled his eyes.

_I don't think that's too off the mark...,_ Zoro thought to himself, amused. _Yuki had a really bad habit of swindling everyone he saw. I guess he hasn't grown out of it yet...._

"Then I escaped with my awesome magic powers, and got caught snoozing in a pirate's storage room. I don't how many there was, but it must have been a million of em'! I woke up right when the door opened, and they all came down at once. I don't know how many I took down either, it must have been almost half!! It was then the captain decided to see what was going on. I was so surprised to see him. He was even more rugged than Gold Roger himself!! Then he said I was a decent fighter, and asked if I could join his crew. I said no, but he persisted and asked if I could cook. I said yes, and cooked their dinner. They were all about to dig in when we were attacked by the exact same Marines that had captured me earlier on!! They all fought hard, but, as you can see, only I survived." Yuki shook his head as if it was horrible to think about it and Zoro rolled his eyes.

"I doubt there was that many people on one ship, idiot," he commented harshly, and Yuki shot a glare at him. "And they would have died anyway if they had tasted that horrible cooking of yours!"

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!," Yuki screeched, brandishing his sword and swinging it at Zoro, who jumped back quickly, the edge tearing his shirt a little. His face showed suprise, then he growled.

"COME AT ME!!" He pulled out two of his swords just as Yuki brought down his own on him. The quiet, peaceful night was filled with the clash of metal and a bunch of insults being tossed back and forth.

"GIRLY BOY!!!"

"GREEN-HAIRED SHARK!!!"

Sometime in the very early morning, Nami, Sanji, and Usopp came up and tried to yell some sense into the two because they couldn't sleep with all the noise, but to no avail, so they just stayed up and watched. Pretty soon, the sun rose, and Zoro and Yuki were still fighting as energetically and idiotically as they were earlier that night, but signs of exhausted showing with the bags under their eyes.

Sanji stood up, stretched, and yawned. "Nami-swan, I'm going to make breakfast. The bottomless pit is going to wake up soon," he said, sleep deprived and his sanity on edge. Nami followed the chain and yawned herself, nodding. "Uh-huh, sure, fine with me..." She looked over at Yuki and Zoro. "Hey!!," she yelled suddenly, but they didn't hear her. She narrowed her eyes and took a huge breath. "HEY!!," she hollered, and the two stopped in mid-swing, and fell on their faces. Yuki looked up, dazed, and Zoro rolled over and blinked his eyes in confusion.

"Eh?," he said, yawning as well. "What is it?! I was having such a nice nap..." He tried to stand up, and winced. "Man, it feels like I just left a hard battle that never stopped!"

Groaning, Yuki laid down flat on his back, a pained expression on his face. "You said it, Sharky." He turned his head, and saw his sword on the ground, along with two of Zoro's own swords. Enraged, he quickly sat up, ignoring the pain, and put the katana in its sheath, Zoro mimicking the movements.

"WHO TOUCHED OUR SWORDS!!," they yelled angrily, and Nami's jaw dropped. Yeah, they were sure acting strange, as if they had no idea they were fighting each other, but _this?! _This was completely uncalled for! Were... were they actually fighting and yelling at each other in their sleep!!

Nami shook her head quickly. "I sure didn't!!," she defended. "It was you guys! Zoro, Yuki, you both were fighting each other in your sleep?"

"Really?," Zoro said, believing her and a smirk growing on his face. "Who won?"

Yuki scoffed. "It was definitely me! You're the wimp!"

Zoro glared at the young boy. "I'm sorry, I missed what you said. the only thing I heard was some sort of buzzing coming from your mouth..."

"I'M GONNA-"

"SHUT UP!!!," Nami yelled angrily, and the two instantly quieted themselves. "It doesn't matter! Just stop fighting in the middle of the so we can get some sleep-"

"I SMELL FOOOOOOOD!!!!," Luffy shouted from the cabin, and rushed into the galley as Nami, Yuki, and Zoro stared. The younger boy sighed and stood up.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore," he stated, irritated. "I'm gonna go eat."

Zoro smirked, following him. "That means I win by default! HA!"

"But I still get food first!!" Yuki dashed to the galley, let Nami get through, then shut the door on Zoro's nose. "Haha, you're still a fool Zoro!"

Enraged, Zoro punched the door open, freaking out Usopp and Sanji, grabbed Yuki's shirt, and tossed him over the edge of the boat. "YOU'VE EATEN A DEVIL'S FRUIT, RIGHT!?," he shouted angrily. "THEN HAVE A NICE SWIM!!"

There was a splash, but it wasn't loud or big enough for a whole person's body. Everyone except Luffy and Zoro grew confused.

"Did he hit the water?," Nami asked, and Zoro slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"Man, I forgot! Yuki can-"

"Fly?," Yuki finished, floating up into the air and grinning smugly. A white aura gathered around his feet, and it looked like he was standing on solid ground, except there was nothing really... there. Nami's, Usopp's, and Sanji's jaws dropped. Yuki chuckled. "Sorry for the scare, but I don't really like the water... I'm a terrible swimmer."

He walked down out of the sky onto the ship's deck, like he was walking down a stairway. It was obvious he had almost fallen entirely into the water, for he was wet from the waist down. Zoro swore, wishing that his former companion drowned. Yuki walked over to Nami, his face a little bit red.

"I'm sorry for asking you about this Nami...," He asked sheepishly, his pride bruised. As he talked, Yuki avoided Nami's eyes."But we're about the same height, and I have nothing else to wear, and Sharky's and Sanji's clothes are too long to fit me. Do you have any spare pants that'll be comfortable for a guy?"

Nami giggled. "Sure thing, but it'll cost you!"

"I just want to get out of the sopping clothes!"

"There you go, acting like a girl again," Zoro teased, and Yuki scowled.

"Sh-Shut up!"

Yuki followed Nami to the cabin, and waited for her to get some pants. But, she not only came back with pants, but she also came back with a baggy shirt that she didn't seem to want.

"Here, this'll match better with the pair of pants I got. Besides, I got this for Zoro when the winter came, but he never wears it..."

The redhead grinned, and took the clothes gratefully. "Thank you very much Nami. Please pardon my rudeness back there, it's just that that green-haired freak is so much of an idiot I can't stand him."

Nami responded with a blank look and sarcasm. "If you're trying to not pay beli for these clothes, it's not working."

Yuki laughed, and shrugged, walking off to change. "Well, it was worth a try!"

Nami walked back up to the deck and confronted Zoro. "Was that ability to fly what you meant that Yuki wasn't what he seemed to be!?"

Zoro blinked, then nodded. "Yeah," the swordsman explained."He can fly for almost twelve hours at once, but no longer than that. It's because the fruit gave him the ability to manipulate air in whatever way he wants. But, he doesn't like to use his ability unless he really needs to. Yuki loves the way of the sword, and would give up his devil's fruit any day if he could be the best swordsman." Zoro yawned. "We've been at each others' throats for a long time, ever since we hunted pirates together. Well, he was just in it for the bounty. Once we turned in the pirates, he would always sneak back to the jail and set them free. Yuki hated helping the military, and didn't live by anybody else's rules except his own."

Nami nodded her head at Zoro's words. Even as he spoke, she couldn't help but feel something was off about Yuki.


	4. A Crossdressing Crossdresser!

**~{Neutral P.o.v.}~**

* * *

Yuki walked up above deck, scowling as Zoro burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!," he laughed, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "You look just like a girl!!! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were one!!"

"Shut up!," Yuki shouted angrily, his short fuse shorter than usual. "I'm a GUY! I hate girls!!"

Nami smiled and chuckled. "What he's saying is the truth, Yuki," she added cheerfully.

Sanji suddenly appeared out of the galley, dragging out Luffy, who had a scrap of meat in his mouth. As soon as his eyes fell on Yuki, the meat went flying and he could barely breath.

"You look like a GIRL!!," he cried, holding his sides from laughing so hard. Sanji stayed oddly silent.

Yuki shot a death glare at Luffy. "I.. am... not... a... GIRL!!!," he yelled, and ran back below deck to sulk.

Luffy blinked. "Did I say something wrong-"

"Idiot!," Sanji shouted. "Of course you did!! And If I hadn't stopped you, you might have eaten that guy's breakfast, along with Nami-san's and mine!"'

"What about ours?," Zoro and Usopp asked.

Sanji shrugged casually. "You can survive, can't you?"

"IDIOT, WE WERE HUNGRY!!"

"Oh well!" He shoved a plate into Zoro's hands, and glared at him. "You knew him when you were still a Bounty Hunter, right? Take that to him."

"What?! No way!"

"It would be awkward for me. Good luck!" He zipped away while the swordsman stared after him, bewildered.

"Huh? Whatever, seems like I have no choice."

Grumbling to himself, he thudded down the stairs and found Yuki facing a corner, grumbling and moved his finger in circles on the floor. Zoro chuckled. Of course, he had known that Yuki hated being the way he was, looking like a girl and all. It had always been a sensitive subject, and the way he sulked over it was priceless. But, unfortunately, Zoro had to cheer him up. He stood there for a second, scratching the back of his head with his free hand.

"Umm, about earlier Yuki... we were just joking about it! How are you going to become the strongest swordsman in that state!?"

Yuki sniffed and looked at Zoro. "I can't, can I?," he said quietly, downcast. "I'm so weak, I can't even defeat you."

Zoro's eye twitched, and he set the plate on the floor. "Moron!!," the swordsman shouted, punching Yuki's head. "Why are you saying such useless things! You may just be a stupid brat, but I will acknowledge your skills! I know a good swordsman when I see one!!"

Yuki blinked, then smirked. "Really?"

Zoro smirked. "Yeah, but you still can't beat me."

"What!?"

"Moron."

"Say that again, I dare you!!"

"M-o-r-o-n."

"I'LL TEAR YOU GUTS OUT SHARK MAN!!"

"IN YOUR DREAMS, LITTLE GIRL!!"

**

* * *

**

The crashing and yelling coming from below deck proved that Yuki was just fine, just maybe a bit angrier.  
"It sounds like we had nothing to worry about," Nami said, a smile tugging at her lips. Luffy let out his held breath in relief.

"Great!!," he shouted. "I really didn't mean to laugh,it was just so funny!!!" He snorted a little bit while Usopp rolled his eyes. Sanji was still pacing back an forth like a worried lover, and Nami raised an eyebrow.

"Sanji-kun, is something wrong?"

Sanji looked up at her and smiled, shaking his head. "No, no, everything's fine!," he defended quickly. "I just can't seem to stand still, that's all!!" He hurried into the galley, avoiding the Navigator's eyes.

"Hmm..."

**

* * *

**

Night fell, and Yuki watched the sea's waves go up and down, up and down. He heard footsteps, and groaned, pulling down his head bandanna. "Leave me alone Zoro, I'm sick and tired of you!!!," he growled.

Sanji bent down and looked him in the eyes. "I'm not that idiot."

Yuki screamed, falling backwards. His eyes were shut tight, waiting for the impact, but, instead of the hard wood, he felt cloth. H opened his eyes. He glanced behind him.

"What are you, stupid!!!," he said, the tone of his voice getting higher. He jumped to his feet and glared at Sanji, who had broken his fall. "Why did you do that!? I'm not some girl who should be waited on!!"

Sanji chuckled a little. "A young lady as fair as you shouldn't be going around pretending she's a boy."

Yuki stared at the cook, then smirked a bit. "Ha!!," he laughed. "Me!? A-A lady!? Please, I'm the farthest thing from the like! Didn't I tell you already that I despise females!"

Sanji shook his head, standing up and smoothing out his suit. "My eye is well tuned, and I can spot a fine lady a mile away. You, though, it took a while. However, I already had my suspicions. All it took was a little bit of Nami-san's old clothes and your scream to prove it."

Yuki's eye twitched. "You're more insane than I thought. No, I take that back, you've completely lost it."

"I want to see you in a dress."

"WHAT?!"

"I want to see you more as a woman, not a man."

"No-"

"Now."

"I don't have a dress. I'm a GUY."

"I have already told Nami-san about my idea, and she agreed and I paid her for a dress. I put it in a safe place, in the kitchen."

"And, the kitchen is safe.... where?"

"Just go put it on. I'll be waiting here."

Yuki glared at Sanji, ready to kill him. He didn't want to where a dress. He hated dresses. Girls wore dresses. He hated girls. "Fine, as long as you quit bugging me."

He went into the kitchen and searched around, initially finding the dress in the refrigerator, of all places. He quickly donned the dress-and brushed his hair, just for the heck of it. The back had small sparkles all over it, the hem stopped at his ankles, and the neckline was lower than he wanted it to be.

As he stepped out of the kitchen, Sanji glared at him. "Take it off."

"But you just said-!?"

"Not the dress. The binding wrapped around your chest. Take it off."

"NO!!" Yuki wished he could have taken back those words, and a triumphant grin spread across the cook's face.

"That's all I needed." He looked away, putting his finger up to his nose, where a red liquid was trickling down. Yuki's eyebrow twitched, and an idea popped into her head. She ran into the kitchen, undid the binding, and ran back outside where Sanji was still trying to cover his nosebleed.

"Okay, I took off the binding." Sanji's head whipped around, and Yuki smirked, pulling the cook forward. "KYAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"

Nami and Usopp came rushing onto the deck, having grabbed anything they could find as weapon. At the site of Sanji on top of an unfamiliar young woman in a dress, Nami grew enraged and punched the poor cook in the head as Usopp shook his head as if saying 'Sanji, Sanji, Sanji...' .

"YOU BEAST!!!," she yelled. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THAT POOR WOMAN!?" Annoyed, Sanji shook his head.

"I-I didn't do anything, I promise!," Sanji cried. "She pulled me forward and fell down, and I ended up on top of her!!"

Giving him a dirty look, Nami turned to the girl and offered her a hand. "Let me help you up-" She trailed off as her eyes widened. "Wait, let me see your eyes."

"No," the girl said bluntly, but the navigator was able to catch a glimpse of the unmistakable clear, sharp, crystal blue eyes.

"Y-Yuki?!"

Usopp's eyes widened and he stared at the girl incredulously. "WHA-WHA-WHA?!?!," he stammered, his eyes bigger than his head.

Yuki scoffed, still staring at the railing. "So, what of it?"

"B-B-But," Nami cried, still in shock. "But you... I thought Sanji just wanted you to cross-dress..."

"You thought wrong, obviously!!," Usopp cried. "I knew the whole time!!"

"Yeah right!," the red-haired girl spat. "None of you could figure it out! The only reason that stupid cook found out is because I let it slip that I was wearing a stupid binding because I lost my head!! Otherwise, none of you would have known. I have never been this clumsy before about hiding my gender, I don't understand it..."

"W-Well, Y-Yuki-chan...," Usopp began, but Nami silenced him.

"Yuki, does Zoro know that you're a girl?"

"No, of course not! I wouldn't reveal that to someone like him! If he found out I was a girl and I wanted to be the greatest swordsman in the world he would laugh at me, telling me it's hopeless, and he would never spar with me again!"

Usopp put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "No, no, you've got it all wrong! Never once has Zoro laughed at any of our dreams, ever! He's really stupid, dense, and lazy, but when it comes to swordsmanship and honor, he's really reliable. You just gotta have more faith in the guy." Nami grinned, and odd gleam in her eye, and ignored the blonde cook who was still trying to explain himself.

"This could be fun," she snickered.


End file.
